Understanding social circumstances of Veterans

In this project we aim to highlight how administrative data can be used to better understand the social circumstances of former armed services personnel.

Research Focus

This project uses the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study (ONS LS) to build the first population-scale evidence base on the social circumstances of UK Armed Forces veterans in England and Wales, drawing on the new veteran (service-leaver) question introduced in the 2021 Census.

The programme addresses two linked questions:

1. Is the underlying data reliable? Around 2% of adults did not give a usable answer to the new 2021 Census veteran question, and ONS filled these gaps using statistical (donor) imputation. The team beta-tested that imputation to establish whether it introduces bias into research relying on the veteran indicator, and to identify which groups were least well captured by the question.
2. What does the data show about veterans' outcomes? Building on that quality assurance, the team used the veteran indicator to examine inter-generational social class mobility and health. Whether service-leavers move up or down the social hierarchy relative to their parents, whether this differs between regular (full-time) and reserve (part-time) service, and how mobility relates to health in later life.

Data Sources

Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study (ONS LS) — linked census and life events data for a 1% sample of the population of England and Wales, spanning the 1971 to 2021 Censuses. Accessed via the ONS Secure Research Service. DOI: https://doi.org/10.57906/z9xn-ng05

Analytical samples:

• Beta-testing study (cross-sectional, 2021 Census): 528,758 individuals, including 19,732 service-leavers (3.9% of the sample).
• Social mobility study (longitudinal, 1971–2021): 213,986 individuals aged 16–66 in 2021, comprising 5,989 service-leavers and 207,997 non-service-leavers.

Public and policy benefit

Together the two studies validate the new Census veteran data for research use and apply it to a substantive policy question: whether service-leavers are disadvantaged relative to civilians, as the Armed Forces Covenant commits government to prevent.

Research team

Dr Umair Ali (Edinburgh Napier University), Professor Iain Atherton (Edinburgh Napier University) and Carles Ibanez (Edinburgh Napier University)

*In collaboration with colleagues at Kings College London, and the University College London

Publications

1. August 2026 - ADR UK impact case study: Inter-generational social mobility among UK Armed Forces service-leavers: Evidence from the ONS Longitudinal Study

2. July 2026 - Conference presentation by Iain Atherton at the 2026 International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) Conference, Rotterdam, 15 July 2026.

3. August 2025 - Vol. 10 No. 4 (2025): Conference Proceedings for ADR UK Conference 2025; Social Mobility and Health Outcomes of UK Armed Forces Veterans: Insights from the ONS Longitudinal Study